Pricing and availability
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Average Price: $110
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$99
$200+
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Price History
Based on price data from 2 merchants for "EMG 60AX Active Humbucker Pickup". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
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Description
Elevate your guitar's voice with the EMG 60AX Active Humbucker Pickup. Designed for guitarists who demand versatility and clarity, this pickup is a game-changer whether you're laying down rhythm tracks or soaring through lead solos. The ceramic magnets and close-aperture coils combine with a newly crafted preamp to deliver a sound that's both rich and cutting. This pickup is traditionally placed at the neck position, where it captures the depth of chunky chords and the sparkle of single-note runs, reflecting every nuance of your performance.
With the EMG 60AX, you're not just adding another pickup; you're enhancing your guitar's expressive potential. The increased headroom ensures that every note rings out clearly, offering a responsive playability that lets your creativity shine. Whether you're playing in a crowded club or a quiet studio, this pickup’s robust output will confidently cut through any mix, making it an essential part of any guitarist’s arsenal.
Key Features:
- High output designed to cut through the mix
- Increased headroom for enhanced expressiveness
- Sparkling high-end tone
- Color: Black with Grey logo
- Resonant frequency: 2.28kHz
- Includes all necessary components for installation
Product specs
| Type | Humbucker |
| Position | Neck |
| Active/Passive | Active |
| Magnet Material | Ceramic |
| Number of Conductors | 2 wire plus battery |
| DC Resistance | 2K |
| Connectivity | Solderless |
| Number of Strings | 6 |
| Covering | Covered |
FAQs
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What makes the EMG 60AX Active Humbucker Pickup different from other EMG pickups?
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The EMG 60AX features ceramic magnets and an active design, providing a clear, articulate sound with enhanced high-end response. It is particularly suitable for neck positions, offering a unique tonal character compared to other EMG models like the 81 or 85.
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Is the EMG 60AX suitable for heavy music genres like metal?
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Yes, the EMG 60AX is well-suited for heavy music genres. Its active design and ceramic magnets deliver a punchy, precise sound that cuts through dense mixes, making it ideal for metal and hard rock.
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Does the EMG 60AX require any special installation process?
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The EMG 60AX uses a solderless installation system, making it easier to install compared to traditional pickups. It requires a 9-volt battery for power, which should be considered during installation.
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How does the EMG 60AX perform in terms of battery life?
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The EMG 60AX, like other EMG active pickups, typically offers around 3000 hours of battery life from a single 9-volt battery. This duration may be halved if used in conjunction with another active pickup.
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Can the EMG 60AX be used in a guitar with passive pickups?
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Yes, the EMG 60AX can be used in a guitar with passive pickups, but it requires its own battery power supply. It is important to ensure compatibility and proper wiring when mixing active and passive pickups.
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about EMG 60AX Active Humbucker Pickup.
Features and functionality
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The EMG 60AX is praised as the best neck humbucker, known for its versatility and suitability across various styles, not just metal.
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Modern EMG kits are solderless and easy to install, requiring sufficient space in the electronics cavity for the battery.
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The Katana 100 amp is recognized for its versatility and includes a headphone jack, making it suitable for both practice and performance settings.
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Mods and upgrades
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The use of 3D printed frames is crucial for mounting the EMG 60AX in modified guitars, aiding in filling the original pickup cavity.
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Value and pricing
User experience
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The EMG 81X complements the 60AX well, providing enhanced pick dynamics compared to the regular 81 model.
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Setup and maintenance
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Fret leveling and neck thickness should be prioritized, as they significantly impact playability and comfort, even more than the action height.
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Comparisons
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The EMG 81X in the bridge paired with the 60AX in the neck offers a dynamic feel and is preferred over the standard 85/81 combination for a KH tone.
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The Yamaha THR and Mustang GTX are noted as fine options for modeling amps, offering versatile sound profiles suitable for various styles.
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5.0 out of 5
Based on 1 Review and 1 Rating
271
Solid all-rounder
Not to be confused with the more common 60, the 60A uses an AlNiCo magnet (EMG do not actually specify what type of AlNiCo is in the 60A, but they mostly use AlNiCo 5 in their other pickups) instead of the ceramic magnet in the regular 60, to produce a slightly softer tone with a little less output and compression. The 'X' model uses a more modern preamp which is more power-efficient and can run with full headroom on 9v, similar to the older EMG models running on 18v.
The 60 and 60A are essentially 'minibuckers' in a full-size humbucker casing. The 60 is commonly found as the neck position counterpart to the popular EMG 81 and has a very bright and compressed tone, similar to a Firebird pickup. The 60A's softer attack and overall warmer tone make it sound more like a standard minibucker, similar to those found in a classic Les Paul Deluxe or the neck position of some Telecasters. Another way to think of it is as a halfway point between a humbucker and a P90 tone.
I use these in both the neck and bridge position of an ESP LTD EC-401 guitar, a Telecaster Deluxe, and a hybrid Tele-LP 'parts build'. The 60AX doesn't mask the individual tone of the guitars (contrary to the reputation active pickups have) and in each case simply sounds like a really good, versatile, jack-of-all-trades light humbucker. The output is almost the same as a Seymour Duncan Jazz/Custom 5 set I have in another guitar; higher output than a vintage PAF-style humbucker but lower than typical 'hot rod' pickups like a JB or Super Distortion. The tone balance is extremely even, with just the very slightest V-shape or 'scooped' feeling as the treble and bass come through just a tiny bit stronger than the mids. These pickups retain their slightly open and airy quality from clean through to mid gain, though of course once you start using very high gain then everything becomes more compressed; that's just the nature of high gain, with any pickup.
Tuning down to Drop C on a 24.75" scale guitar comes through sounding completely clear (even though I like very light strings, too), though I've not tested tuning lower than that. E Standard of course sounds faultless.
I've put these in guitars where I wanted a versatile sound but wanted the tone to be just a hint more modern than the Gibson BurstBucker #3 I favour in other guitars, but also not as high-output as really 'modern' humbuckers. If you want a specific tone such as mids-heavy, bass-heavy, very high output or very vintage, or any other specific tone, then the 60AX (or plain 60A) likely won't impress you very much. If you want a pickup you can depend on to do a standard rock gig one night, a goth metal gig the next night, and then maybe even do a little bit of clean jazz afterward, this is the pickup you want.
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